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WE HAVE A NEW COVER!
Congratulations to Gary Tonge for submitting the winning entry in the The Uversa Press Committee's cover contest. Our fourth printing of The Urantia Book, projected to be available in Summer 2012, will feature the Standard Reference Text and Tonge's beautifully inspiring cover art. A special thank you to John Hay, Chair
of Uversa Press and his committee, Paula Thompson, and Don Greene, for seeing this project to fruition.
click here to see a larger image |
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President
Treasurer
Secretary General
Judicial Chair
Membership Chair
Interfaith Chair
Outreach Chair
Finance Chair
General Council
Lara Amyx
Andrea Barnes
Larry Bowman
Robert Bruyn
Robert Burns
Avi Dogim
Stephen Dreier
Janet Falbo
Tony Finstad
Cece Forrester
Janet Graham
Tim Hobbs
Merritt Horn
Jack Kane
Al Lockett
Charlene Morrow
Dolores Nice
Charles Olivea
Thomas Orjala
Phillip Taylor
Jo Ann Wiedman
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Click Here to Link to "Friends of the Urantia Book Fellowship" Facebook Page.
Join Us for Daily Discussions.
![Like us on Facebook]( "Like us on Facebook")
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![Michelle Klimesh]()
122:9.5 Rejoice in the tender mercy of our God because the dayspring from on high has now visited us to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death;
To guide our feet into ways of peace.
A
special benefit of being part of the Urantia community of believers is
that we can celebrate the birth of Jesus twice a year; in August with
each other, and again in December with the rest of the Christmas
revelers. In honor of this season of gift giving, I share a perspective
on two of Jesus' life-changing gifts.
126:3.5 Family
responsibility had quite effectively removed all thought of immediately
carrying out any plan for responding to the Jerusalem visitation
directing him to "be about his Father's business." Jesus rightly reasons
that the watchcare of his earthly father's family must take precedence
of all duties; that the support of his family must become his first
obligation.
I discovered The Urantia Book
in the early seventies, when feminism was teaching us that stay-at-home
motherhood was a quaint notion from the past. I hadn't started my
family yet, but I understood that the story of Jesus' family life
contradicted the prevailing culture. In our world, parents were supposed
to choose an exciting career while the kids went off to day care.Yet Michael himself set universe affairs aside to raise his family. What
job could I ever choose that was more important than being sovereign of
Nebadon? It was a no-brainer. Once I started raising two daughters, the
example Jesus set made a huge impact on my balance between family and
work. So the first gift I give thanks for today, is the fact that I
understood the crucial importance of raising children while I was
raising them. 127:4.2 By
the beginning of this year Jesus had fully won his mother to the
acceptance of his methods of child training-the positive injunction to
do good in the place of the older Jewish method of forbidding to do
evil. In his home and throughout his public-teaching career Jesus
invariably employed the positive form of exhortation. Always and
everywhere did he say, "You shall do this-you ought to do that." Never
did he employ the negative mode of teaching derived from the ancient
taboos.
The second gift I want to give thanks
for is that through the revelation, I was able to witness Jesus' style
of parenting: teaching from the positive, holding family meetings,
worshiping in nature, engaging in fair discipline. These two gifts have
changed my life, the lives of my daughters, and even the lives of my
grandchildren. Happy holidays! JOY to you and your families!Michelle Klimesh |
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Will you consider supporting our work?
![Gary_Tonge]() We
count it a blessing to be here today, 'quivering on the brink' with
this revelation, just ready and waiting to emerge, to reach out and
touch the lives of millions upon millions of souls, some as yet to be
born here on this lowly world. What an honor, a forever unique
experience and blessing it is for us to be here now at the very
beginning of the first ever revelation in our entire universe to be
given in book form. Talk about a challenge, a responsibility, a true
exercise in faith and action combined! While it's true that tough
economic conditions have left us all dipping into reserves to make ends
meet, by the same token, it is in tough times like these that people
seek deeper meaning and faith. More and more people are becoming
interested in The Urantia Book and we must rise to the occasion, even if
it means further taxing our limited resources, because we are called to
act now as never before. The work involved in the worldwide
dissemination of The Urantia Book is overwhelming at times, but the
support of our friends encourages us to persevere and becomes the wind
in our sails. You can make a secure onetime contribution online at our website, http://urantiabook.org/support.htm
or perhaps consider giving a 'gift that keeps on giving' by agreeing to
make an affordable monthly donation (auto-debit donation) that is
automatically deducted from your bank account. As always, we'll send a
deluxe leather Urantia Book to all new monthly auto-debit donors who
pledge to make at least a $20.00 monthly donation or a onetime
equivalent. If you aren't able to donate right now, perhaps you
would like to volunteer some time to work on one of our exciting
projects. Our Volunteer Coordinator is Andrea Barnes and she would love
to connect with you at andbarnes@gmail.com. You can also contact our staff, Paula or Jo Ann, at Fellowship headquarters by calling 303-467-7858. Here
are some of the projects we'll be working on in 2012: Campus outreach
and other young reader initiatives via our new Youth and Young Adult
standing committee; Online audio translations of the Urantia Book; The
4th printing of the Uversa Press Urantia Book that incorporates the new
Standard Reference Text (our mutual text agreement with Urantia
Foundation) and features a comprehensive index and new cover design;
Regional Interfaith Conferences; The Pipeline of Light which sends free
UBs around the world in all available languages; The 2012 Summer Study
Session at Techny Towers (north of Chicago); Progressive dissemination
projects like RUN (Reach Urantia Now) and outreach to the Emergent
Christian movement; A complete redesign of our website, database and
online storefront.
The good ship, Urantia, has moved out of her safe harbor, out onto the open seas of her future destiny. Welcome aboard! John Hay, Robert Burns, Don Green, Christilyn Biek-Larson - Finance Committee
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A 'Second Miler' Salute Susan
Cook is the Chair of the Fellowship's Interfaith Committee. For the
last two years she has been devoted to a project that has changed her
life. She is working to end the despicable sex trafficking of female
minors by producing a documentary film called "Hope Road."
In
her efforts, Susan has identified key people in communities throughout
the United States who are working to solve this crisis. Atlanta, for
instance, is the only city that has a comprehensive program to address
the problem: A Future Not a Past. These young women are rescued by a
beautiful web of rehabilitation services, including medical and social
services, education and safe houses in peaceful settings. Atlanta has
given Susan and her crew complete access to film judges, prosecutors,
doctors, teachers, and creators of this program to show exactly what it
takes to actually help these children. While
Atlanta is helping young victims, Veronica's Voice in Kansas City is
working to help the adult women who were exploited in this way and are
now dealing with the devastating consequences. Most were exploited prior
to the age of 18 and were used, abused and abandoned when their earning
power diminished. Susan says, "What Veronica's Voice does to help these
women is mesmerizing and will be in the film. I've been there and have
fallen in love with them." They have given Susan's crew access to film
the resilient survivors and heroic women who are dedicated to helping
them.
Susan
believes that Hope Road will expose this devastating problem and bring
attention and resources to its solution. A nonprofit film company was
established to make this film. Its mission is educating and inspiring
professionals to help victims and end these terrible crimes against
women. Hope Road utilizes the skills of Emmy and Grammy award winning
producers and directors as well as talented videographers who will not
only expose the problem but also reveal the solution! To view the film
makers credentials and the trailer click here: . Incidentally, this film was requested by women who work in law enforcement (FBI) to be used as a professional training tool.
Many thanks and a 'second miler' salute goes out to Susan & Little Wolf Productions for their loving service! |
Biography
Lena C. Sadler, 1875 - 1939, was a physician, surgeon, obstetrician, lecturer and author, a leader in women's health issues.
Before studying medicine, she was a public school teacher and
afterwards a trained nurse. For twenty years Lena and her husband, Dr.
William Sadler, worked in rescue mission work for the Seventh-day
Adventist Missions in Chicago and San Francisco. Lena concentrated on
ministering to women detained in the Chicago jails. Later in life Lena
became a leading activist who lectured and diligently worked toward
recognizing the contributions of women as ![Lena Sadler]() professionals
in the medical and scientific fields. She was an associate professor of
Physiologic Therapeutics in The Post Graduate Medical School of
Chicago, an associate director of the Chicago Institute of Physiologic
Therapeutics, a fellow of the American Medical Association, and a
specialist in diseases of women and children. Most
Urantians know "Dr. Lena" only as the wife of Dr. William Sadler. But
she was much more than that. Dr. Lena was a protagonist at virtually
every critical turning point in the revelatory process. Many Urantian
historians believe she was a destiny reservist who, generally behind the
scenes, inspired, drove and motivated her husband and the other humans
involved in receiving the revelation. We are told in the Urantia Papers
that "... reservists of destiny have seldom been emblazoned on the pages
of human history ..." on our planet. And so it was with Dr. Lena
Sadler. ●
It was Dr. Lena Sadler who initiated the first contact. After several
sessions with the sleeping subject in which he was unresponsive to
physical stimulation. "Lena Sadler noticed the subject was moistening
his lips. 'Perhaps he wants to say something. Perhaps we should ask a
question,' she said. 'How are you feeling?' To the great astonishment of
everyone, the subject spoke!" [From A History of the Urantia
Papers.] ●
It was Dr. Lena Sadler who, in 1923, organized the thirty individuals
for a Sunday afternoon discussion group which soon became the "Forum."
●
It was Dr. Lena Sadler who took the initial notes regarding the
information provided by the pre-Urantia Papers contacts (beginning circa
1906), and read them to the Sunday group in late 1924. ●
It was Dr. Lena Sadler who concluded that the phenomenon they were
experiencing was authentic, and came to believe in the revelation long
before Dr. William Sadler. ● It was Dr. Lena Sadler who urged her husband William to continue with the process after his interest began to decline. ● It was Dr. Lena Sadler who raised the initial $20,000 toward the publication fund of the Urantia Book. Dr.
Lena died in 1939 after a long and courageous battle with breast
cancer. The process of receiving the Urantia Papers was nearly
completed. For about three decades, she had quietly helped propel the
process. Even
avid detractors and critics of Dr. William Sadler acknowledge his
wife's noble character and spiritual fragrance. Some make the bizarre
assertion that William Sadler, a successful and renowned medical doctor
and psychiatrist, wrote the Urantia Papers. They offer no plausible
motive. Surely Lena Sadler, also a successful and esteemed medical
doctor, would never collaborate in, or even sanction, an elaborate and
senseless charade. Lena
Sadler was a great Urantian. Her significance, like many extraordinary
women, has never been adequately acknowledged. For the first forty-five
years of her life she could not vote because women had not yet been
granted suffrage. She achieved her education and became a medical doctor
when it was almost unheard of for females. Dr. Lena served humanity in
the shadow of her famous husband, and when he doubted and faltered, she
remained steadfast. Perhaps of all the Urantian pioneers, we owe Dr.
Lena Sadler the most profound debt of gratitude. LARRY MULLINS |
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Worldwide OutReach Opportunities
by Paul Klaver
The Urantia Book OutReach
Organization (TUBOO) is in its 3rd year of seeding donated hardcover
Urantia Books into bookstores around the world. Similar to the
Fellowship's program "Pipeline of Light" the object of the program is to
seed Urantia Books worldwide. In 2012 we will have a working
relationship with both the Foundation and the Fellowship in supporting
this outreach effort with reduced purchase costs for hardcover Urantia
Books.
We hope and believe this
outreach project will make the job of placing Urantia Books into the
hands of truth-seekers worldwide that much easier for our unseen
friends. In 2010 a total of 250 books were donated and seeded. In 2011,
553 hardcover books were seeded in 91 countries. In 2012, with continued
donor support, we hope to seed over 1,000 hardcover books. For each $10
donated to this project TUBOO will be able to mail one hardcover
Urantia Book to a bookstore near you. Can you donate $10 to help expand
the worldwide knowledge of our Heavenly Father's love?
![Paul and his dog Maxx]() TUBOO is also in the early stages of a 5 year plan to produce a series of 10 video animations on "The Life and Teachings of Jesus". If all goes well the first video should be released in late Jan or early Feb 2012. Tune into our sister website AnimatedStoriesofJesus.com
in early Feb to watch the video. The purpose of this project is to
introduce The Urantia Book for the first time to many in the viewing
audience, and perhaps more importantly, it will also provide an accurate
version of the teachings of Christ Michael. This is a costly project
for our small organization and help in funding it has been, and will
continue to be, very much appreciated. The
3rd outreach effort of TUBOO is with FaceBook ads. With a budget of
$1800 in 2011 TUBOO was able to create an ad displaying a picture of The
Urantia Book with the following caption... "Dedicated to expanding the interest and knowledge of God by expanding the interest and knowledge of The Urantia Book."
The
Facebook ad resulted in over 10 million impressions with 3300 hits on
our website. In 2012 we hope to increase the budget to $5,000. Can you
assist us?
TUBOO
realizes the demands made by everyday living. There are numerous
charities seeking to fulfill missions of giving. It's not as important
which charity you support as it is you support at least one mission of
giving. Charities are funded by people just like you and I. If
you believe the 5th epochal revelation is important, please help seed
its worldwide dissemination. Please donate to one of our outreach
programs by visiting at our website at www.UrantiaBookOutReach.com.
Thank you and have a safe and wonderful holiday this Christmas season. Working Together
In His Service
Paul Klaver
President
The Urantia Book OutReach Organization
www.UrantiaBookOutReach.com |
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Meditation in The Urantia Book
(Jesus-stylemeditation)
by Peter Holley
[All bold words throughout indicate emphasis added by the author.]
Words Change Their Meaning
The
URANTIA Book tells us that Jesus meditated - a lot! What it doesn't say
is that the word "meditation" has evolved away from its original
meaning during the years following the revelation's final inditing in
the mid 1930s. Such evolution of words was, of course, anticipated by
the revelators, who tell us that the expression of religion "must be
restated every time the dictionary of human language is revised" (1).
Likewise the meaning of each affected teaching needs to be renewed when
necessary.
![meditation]() The
problem with changed words is that they can give us an altered picture
if we aren't careful. The fact that Jesus used and taught meditation as a
means to communicate with one's Thought Adjuster makes it vitally
important for us to understand what is meant, if as The URANTIA Book states
on the last page, the "great challenge for modern man is to achieve
better communication with the divine Monitor that dwells within the
human mind."
A dictionary contemporary with the reception of the finalized Urantia Papers (as later originally published in The URANTIA Book) provides the following definition of the word "meditation":
"...
close or continued thought, the turning or revolving of a subject in
the mind, serious contemplation; mental reflection; often specifically,
thought devoted to religious subjects." (2)
The
type of "meditation" often associated with Eastern religions which
requires an altered state of consciousness had not yet at that time
migrated into the dictionary. It became a secondary definition of
"meditation" sometime after Yogi Paramhansa Yogananda came to the West
and brought about what has been called a religious revolution with the
publication of his book Autobiography of a Yogi
in 1946. Yet a look at a 1955 desk dictionary shows that the more
intellectually passive type of meditation had not even appeared by The URANTIA Book's publication date. Neither is it included in my 1982 "College" dictionary. Read More ->
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Outreach in Ghana
The
International Fellowship Committee's Ghana Team of 7 recently completed
a most extensive, exciting, and far-reaching mission in Accra, Ghana;
in three phases.
It began with the International Book Fair in
Accra from November 1 - 6, 2011 where we had secured a double booth, and
decorated it with related signs, posters, CD's, JANR's, and full
Urantia Books - which we believed to be the most attractive booth there.
Initially there were 5 of us: Joan Evans, Ed Harrigan, Charlene Morrow,
Arlene Weimer and I. A day later the team was completed after
being joined by Tim Hobbs coming up from South Africa and a most
incredibly beautiful reader (Emeka Anazodo) arriving from Nigeria.
(Additionally, Sam Sifa was there to help out- some of you may have met
Sam at IC11 in Salt Lake City; an enthusiastic supporter of the
Revelation.)![ghana friends]()
Our
theme was: "Our load is heavy, but our burden light." We were loaded
with 108 (6 cases) of the JANR (Jesus, A New Revelation) books, 30
Urantia Books, 10 sets of CD's covering most of Part IV, 1,500 spiritual
vitamins, and assorted banners, posters, and handouts. (To add to the
load, we carried 20 full Urantia Books from the Foundation printed in
India that went with Emeka to Nigeria.) Everything was priced for the
local economy - we sold the JANR's for the equivalent of about $2.00,
and they sold themselves. I've said it over and over: everywhere we go
we find people are hungry for information about Jesus (and this year
we've been to India, South Korea, and Ecuador). They just are!! The
Ghanaian people are beautiful, honest, and thirsting.
![]() Secondly,
the team agreed to organize a conference, and handed out flyers at the
booth giving the information on it. It was held during the evening of
the last day of the book fair, and in one of the halls that was part of
the complex near the book fair. Tim efficiently created PowerPoints for
all the presenters, and we were somewhat amazed that over 50 people
showed up. Ed open with a prayer, and each of us did a presentation; and
we left ample time at the end of questions to be answered by our panel.
Emeka, with his broad knowledge of the UB was invaluable while
interacting with the attendees. Most stayed well beyond that allotted
conference time.
And thirdly, about this time, Arlene
came up with a brilliant idea of: "Let's have a leadership meeting and
include a "practice" study group- which we did, 2 nights later. 5 great
leaders emerged, including Sam Safi's son - Pastor Sammuel Okwanpah.
And, they agreed to have Emeka visit them from Nigeria several times per
year to help as needed.![ghana]()
We
took a day to visit some of the countryside, and began to long trek
home - completely emptied of all materials related to the Revelation,
but with souls full of team work and spirits filled with love.
Love & Service,
Buck Weimer
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2012 LONE STAR ROUND-UP CONFERENCE SURVEY
Greetings to all Brothers and Sisters of the Family of Urantia Book Readers:
![lone star state]()
We
take great joy in announcing the 2012 Lone Star Roundup Conference
which will take place March 30 -- April 1, 2012, at the Briarwood
Retreat Center in Argyle, Texas--located in about the center of a
"triangle" connecting Dallas, Fort Worth, and Denton, Texas. Our
conference theme is: "God and Man Need Each Other." The all-volunteer
conference is delighted to present 5 wonderful and experienced speakers:
Dr. Lawrence "Scotty" Schkade, Charlene Morrow, Jean-Pierre Heudier,
and Debra and Rick Guevara. The Conference will also feature a worship
celebration, reversion time, socialization, entertainment, music, and
poetry.
The accommodations which we can offer to prospective
attendees now include 2 cabins each with 8 semi-private single
beds--each cabin having 2 baths. Meals are on site, and vegetarian and
special diets can be accommodated. Registration forms will be sent to
anyone who requests one or who expresses interest in attending the
conference.
The non-affiliated nature of the "Lone Star Roundup
Conference Association" encourages all Urantia Book readers, all persons
interested in the Urantia Book, and/or their guests to attend.
So
far, we have confirmed attendees hailing from California, Oklahoma, and
from throughout Texas, and anyone from anywhere is welcome to attend.
It may be possible to provide transportation to the conference site from
the DFW airport or from Love Field, Dallas. However, we cannot
guarantee this service at this time and this far ahead of the conference
dates.
Expenses involved in attending the conference include:
Cabin
residency: $45 per person per day = $90. (Cabins would be supplied with
linens: 2 sheets, bath towel, hand towel, wash cloth, and soap.)
Six meals: $56 for the entire conference (This includes dinner Friday, 3 meals Saturday, breakfast and lunch Sunday.)
$44 for children 4-11 (Children under 4 eat free.)
Registration: $25 per attendee
NO MONEY NEED BE SENT RIGHT AWAY. Payment will be submitted with Registration Form which will be sent to all inquirers during January, 2012.
Briarwood Retreat Center670 Copper Canyon Road
Argyle, TX 76226
940-241-2099
1-800-441-0016
If you believe you would be interested in attending the conference or have questions, please contact:
David Glass
972-989-1958
dglass63@aol.com
As
soon as convenient--through the first half of January. Registration
forms will be sent to any inquirers during the latter half of January,
2012.
WE WILL DO ALL THINGS
POSSIBLE TO MAKE THIS CONFERENCE A MOST SATISFYING AND REWARDING
EXPERIENCE FOR ALL ATTENDEES! EXCELLENT SPEAKERS ARE LINED UP, TOGETHER
WITH REVERSIONARY ENTERTAINMENT, WORSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, AND MORE! COME BE A
PART OF THIS CELEBRATION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE UNIVERSAL FATHER
AND HIS TO US! "GOD AND MEN NEED EACH OTHER." (SEE: URANTIA BOOK,
195:10.3)
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NEW SOFTWARE TOOL - GLOSSARIZED URANTIA BOOK
Urantia
Book Society of Great New York (UBSGNY) is sponsoring the development
and distribution of a new software tool to aid in the discovery and
study of The Urantia Book. This software, the Glossarized Urantia Book,
is now available for general distribution.
Please be aware this
software is available both ONLINE and OFFLINE (for local PC use without
the Internet). The ONLINE version can be accessed from the Society's
website at: www.urantia-nyc.org.
Click the home page menu link called: 'Glossarized Urantia Book'. NOTE:
This software has been certified for the following browsers: Safari
(Windows and MAC), Internet Explorer (Windows).
For OFFLINE use
you can download the software for local installation by clicking the
'Download' menu item within the ONLINE version. There is an FAQ/User
Guide for more detail and it is recommended that you read this guide to
facilitate your early experience with this new tool.
We hope you find this new software useful in your Urantia Book studies!
John Lambo, President UBSGNY |
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COMPARE
Tom Allen sends out quotes
by famous people with a comparison quote from The Urantia Book. He
simply calls them COMPARE. The quotes are always thought provoking
and relevant. If you would like to subscribe to this free service to
Urantia Book readers, please send Tom Allen an email: tommykaren1@att.net. _____________________
Complete
calm comes from complete certainty. In today's unnerving,
globalizing, sometimes terrifying world, such religious certainty is a
balm more in demand than ever.
--Andrew Sullivan (b. 1963)
"When Not Seeing is Believing,"
Time October 9, 2006 Vol.168, No. 15
During
the psychologically unsettled times of the twentieth century, amid the
economic upheavals, the moral crosscurrents, and the sociologic rip
tides of the cyclonic transitions of a scientific era, thousands upon
thousands of men and women have become humanly dislocated; they are
anxious, restless, fearful, uncertain, and unsettled; as never before in
the world's history they need the consolation and stabilization of
sound religion. In the face of unprecedented scientific achievement and
mechanical development there is spiritual stagnation and philosophic
chaos. The Urantia Book (99:4.6)
AND Politics just moves the pieces around on the chessboard. Religion changes lives!
--Peter Berger, (b.1929) The materialistic sociologist of today surveys a community, makes a report thereon,
and leaves the people as he found them. Nineteen hundred years ago,
unlearned Galileans surveyed Jesus giving his life as a spiritual
contribution to man's inner experience and then went out and turned the
whole Roman Empire upside down.
The Urantia Book (195:6.9)
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We would like to hear from you!
We
welcome your contributions to this online publication. We
accept articles no more than 10 paragraphs long that deal with
Urantia Book related events, ideas, outreach, gatherings, or
reminders. Articles should be submitted to volunteer@urantiabook.org before the 22nd of every month. |
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REMINDERS
ONLINE STUDY GROUPS FORMING NOW
If you are interested in beginning a new study group using this medium please contact us at robertapontehb@gmail.com.
It's not really that difficult and there are many members who can help
with the "technicals." So, we'd appreciate "opinions" on this and then
let's "roll up our sleeves" and get to work making this happen!
__________________________________
EASTER SPIRIT RENEWAL RETREAT
will be held on March 29-April 1, 2012 at the San Geronimo Lodge in Taos, New Mexico. The
price for the retreat is $265 which includes everything - three night
lodging, all nine meals and the retreat fee. You can call San Geronimo
Lodge at 1-800-894-4119 or at 575-751-3776 in order to make your registration directly at their spiritual retreat center.
www.sangeronimolodge.com
__________________________________
The International Conference 2011 plenary sessions are now online. To view images from the Conference click this link: http://ubgraphics.com
To order a copy of the Conference videos click here => videos
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![Logo]( "0.8939393939393939")
FROM THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Are you a member of The
Urantia Book Fellowship? Maybe you're not sure? If not
please contact us and we'll let you know. Email Lenny Cowles at: lighting@wispertel.net
If you would like to become a member
please click on this link and fill out the easy online membership
form. Your credentials will be sent to the Membership Committee
for consideration.
Please join us! - click here for the online form.
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